Seat and attachments for supporting crippled children in standard dental chairs



INVEN TOR. flaw/7. $275045) array/v5 'R. M. SITTERLEY SEAT AND ATTACHMENTS FOR SUPPORTING CRIPPLED CHILDREN IN STANDARD DENTAL CHAIRS Filed May 5.- 1954 June 26, 1956 United States Patent SEAT AND ATTACHMENTS FOR SUPPORTING CRIPPLED CHILDREN IN STANDARD DEN- TAL CHAIRS Ralph M. Sitterley, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 5, 1954, Serial No. 427,844

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-79) The invention disclosed in this patent application is a childs seat attachable to an ordinary dental or medical chair, provided with accessory attachments for supporting the limbs or heads of crippled children in comfortable position for the dentist or doctor to operate in the usual way.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a special mounting frame applicable over the back of a standard dental chair, which may be so inconspicuous and out of the way as to be left permanently in position thereon, and a foldable childs seat which can be quickly engaged on or be removed from the mounting frame, which can be low ered for resuscitation purposes and otherwise used to conform to standard dental practice, and which will carry special arm, leg and head supports and the like such as may be required for comfortably holding and supporting handicapped children crippled by polio, cerebral palsy, arthritic heart, muscular dystrophy and the like.

Special objects of the invention are to provide such apparatus at a reasonable cost and in a form readily applicable to an ordinary dental chair, thus to enable a practitioner with a standard chair to quickly convert such a chair for the special administration to crippled children.

Other important objects attained by the invention and the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts rendering accomplishment of such objects possible are set forth and will appear more fully in the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates present practical embodiments of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l in the drawing is an outline view of an ordinary dental chair having the invention applied thereto and showing the childs seat in place on the back of the chair and having leg supports applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken part sectional side elevation showing the mounting frame applied over the back of the chair and the childs seat hooked to the mounting frame;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper and lower sections of the mounting frame in detached relation;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation illustrating a modified form of mounting frame in which the upper and lower sections are spring connected;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the latter form of frame mounted on a chair back and showing the childs seat engaged thereon, with broken lines indicating how the seat may be lowered when the chair back is lowered for resuscitation or other purposes;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a head and neck support engageable with a socket at the top of the attachable childs seat;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a hinged form of leg supporting attachment;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of an attachable arm support.

2,751,967 Patented June 26, 1956 In Fig. 1 a dental chair of more or less ordinary or standard construction is indicated, having a backrest 10 which may be inclined, raised and lowered in accordance with usual dental practice. This backrest is usually cushioned, thus affording a resilient and more or less yielding support for the frame provided for mounting the childs seat.

This frame is shown in Fig. 3 as made up of two parallel hook-like upper straps or strips 11 connected at the back in spaced relation by a bar 12 and having keyhole slots 13 in the dependent front portions 14 which overlie the front of the backrest.

This first illustrated form of frame is intended to be left in place on the chair back and is shown as secured in this relation by a pair of upwardly faced hook-like elements 15 secured in spaced relation by a bar 16 at the back and having at the front, buttons or studs 17 to enter in openings 13 at the lower ends of the front strips 14.

Thus engaged on the chair back, the supporting strips 14 will be firmly secured and possibly to some extent, impressed into the cushioning material of the back. In such relation they are inconspicuous, do not interfere with the comfort of an adult in the chair and are otherwise not objectionable so this frame, if desired, may be left in place on the chair back. If preferred, however, the two sections of the frame may be quickly disconnected and the frame be completely removed from the chair back at any time.

Carrying forward this idea of quick attachment and detachment, the frame may be constructed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, with the upper and lower hook sections coupled together at their adjacent ends by springs 18 which, after the lower hook section is engaged beneath the lower edge of the back, will yield sufliciently to permit the upper hook section to be slipped over the top of the back, the springs then contracting to yieldingly secure the opposed hook sections in firm position on the back.

The childs seat is shown as made up of a back panel 19 having headed studs or buttons 20 engageable in the keyhole slots 13 and a seat panel 21 hinged to the lower end of the back panel at 22 and supported by folding hinge links 23, 24, the upper ones, 23, pivoted to the back panel at 25' and the lower ones, 24, pivotally and detaehably connected with the seat panel by keyhole and pin connections 26, the latter to permit the seat being dropped down as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 5.

The construction illustrated permits the childs seat to be folded fiat when removed from the dental chair and thus adapted when not in use to be stored in small space. When mounted on the chair the seat can be quickly dropped for resuscitation or other purposes, by simply disconnecting the lower ends of the supporting links 26.

The childs seat, in position on the back, does not interfere with adjustment and use of the dental chair in the usual way. If necessary to lower the chair back for resuscitation or other purposes, the supporting links 24 may be unhooked at their lower ends and the seat panel 21 be lowered to recline the child in the same manner as an adult would be lowered in the chair.

The back and seat panels are shown provided with means for the attachment of special arm, leg and head rests and supports, stirrups, brackets and the like.

Fig. 1 shows the back panel as having a socket 27 at the top for the shank 28 of a head support such as illustrated in Fig. 6, the latter shown as having bendable neck encircling bands 29 adjustable to immediate requirements.

Fig. 1 further indicates the back panel as having slots or sockets 30 in the sides near the top, and the seat panel as having similar sockets 31 in the sides near the forward edge, and sockets 32 in the front edge to re- 3 ceive shank portions such as 28 of various body rests and supports.

The sockets 27, 30, 31 and 32 are located in the several sides of the attachment'where they may be used tobest eifechand they are shown as all alike so that with the mounting shanks alike, these various limb supports may be optionally and interchangeably used Where they .will serve to support the child most comfortably. While the top socket 27 may ordinarily be used for the neck and head support and the side sockets 30 for arm rests, the lower side sockets 31 for arm or leg rests and the front sockets 32 for foot and leg supports, it is contemplated that they maybe used in other ways or for various other kinds of supports or body aids.

Also in Fig. 1, fiat and concave form legrests 33, 34

I are shown engaged in the front legrest sockets 32.

vFig. .7 illustratesa hinged form of support 35 having a shank portion 28 engageable in one of the sockets.

Fig. 8 illustrates a flat armrest 36 having a twisted shank portion 28a engageable in the vertical sockets 30 in the'upper side portions of the back.

The various rests and supports are quickly engageable in and detachable from the sockets provided for the same in the back and seat panels, enabling them to be used as required to best advantage and to the greatest comfort of a crippled child. By supporting the child in comfort and in a state of rest the dentist is enabled to work to best advantage and the child is saved unnecessary discomfort and'suifering.

The construction disclosed is relatively simple and such as can be quickly mounted on an ordinary dental chair by the practitioner or .assistant. The mounting frame may be placed on or be removed from the chair each time the childs seat is used, or be left in position on the back of the chair, ready for application of the childs seat.

The seat construction can be instantly applied to or be removed from the frame and any required rests or supports can be attached,'where needed, on the back or seat panel. If necessary to lower the chair the supporting links 24 may be unhooked and the seat panel lowered. Various rests and supports may be attached to the childs seat to best suit the comfort and condition of a crippled or otherwise handicapped child.

The vertical series of keyhole openings 13 in the supporting straps allows for vertical adjustment of the childs seat on the mounting frame to suit the size and condition of the child.

While the invention has been developed particularly for the aid of crippled children, it will be realized that the invention is useful for and possibly to a larger extent, for the care of normal, healthy children.

' What is claimed is:

1. Childs seat for attachment to a standard dental chair, comprising hingedly connected back and seat panels, folding links supporting the seat panel from the back panel and detachable to permit lowering of the seat panel, mounting sockets in the back and seat panels, arm, leg and headrest members having shank portions detachably engaged in said sockets and means for removably supporting the back panel of said childs seat on the back of a standard dental chair, including a frame having means for detachably securing same on the back of a dental chair and detachable connecting mean between the back panel and said mounting frame.

2. Childs seat for attachment to a standard dental chair, comprising hingedly connected back and seat panels, folding links supporting the seat panel from the back panel and detachable to permit lowering of the seat panel, mounting sockets in the back and seat panels, arm, leg and headrest members, having shank portions detachably engaged in said sockets and means for removably supporting the back panel of said childs seat On the back of a standard dental chair, including reversely faced upper and lower hook elements engageable over the upper and lower edges of a dental chair back and detachable means of connection between said mounting means and back panel. j

3. Childs seat for attachment to a standard dental chair, comprising hingedly connected back and seat panels, folding linkssupporting the seat panel from the panel and detachable to permit lowering of the seat panel, mounting sockets in the back and seat panels, arm, leg and headrest members having shank portions detachably engaged in said sockets and means for removably supporting the back panel of said childs seat on the back of a standard dental chair, including hook-like elements engageable over upper and lower edges of a dental chair back, spring means yieldingly connecting said upper and lower hook-like elements and detachable connecting means between said mounting means and said back panel.

4. Attachable and removable childs seat for standard dental chair, comprising a mounting frame having supporting members with means engageable over the back of a standard dental chair, a childs seat having hingedly connected back and seat panels and supporting means for the seat panel disconnectible to permit lowering of the seat panel, said back panel having means removably engaged in vertically adjustable relation with said supporting members on said mounting frame, said back and seat panels having mounting sockets in different positions thereon and body rest members having mounting shanks detachably engaged in said sockets providing body supports in different relations on said childs seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 254,133 Holt Feb. 28, 1882' 294,286 Stiles Feb. 26, 1884 1,270,738 Jones June 25, 1918 1,431,291 Davis Oct. 10, 1922 1,837,406 Campbell Dec. 22, 1931 2,060,298 Gailey Nov. 10, 1936 2,609,864 Gates Sept. 9, 1952 2,690,787 Soltis Oct. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 490.233 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1938 

